Russian Coast Guard Boards Greenpeace Ship

The Coast Guard has begun a mandatory inspection of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise following a protest in the Arctic on Monday, the environmental group said.

The ship moved into the Northern Sea Route on Saturday despite Russia's denial of permission to enter the area.

Four members of the Russian Coast Guard boarded the ship without permission after the group launched inflatable boats with banners reading “Save the Arctic” near the oil exploration vessel Geolog Dmitry Nalivkin, Greenpeace said in a statement.

The targeted vessel is under contract to Rosneft and U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil as part of a joint venture.

“We’re here on behalf of three and a half million people who want to expose the truth behind reckless Arctic oil drilling, and yet the Russian authorities have tried to block us at every turn. Our protest is entirely safe and peaceful, while oil exploration poses a huge threat to wildlife and the fragile Arctic environment,” Greenpeace said in a statement.